Carte Blanche

Dr. Dror Soffer is the sole trauma surgeon in a hospital in Tel Aviv. As the opening credits explain, violent crime is by far the most common cause of death for young people ages 20-35. The camera follows the tireless Dr. Soffer as he hurries along the corridors of a medical center and registers the continual stream of heavily wounded patients, including Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. The doctor is always on call, and only the conversations with the filmmakers in his small hospital bedroom provide brief respite. We see the victims of stabbings, car crashes and failed suicide attempts; and we see bloody images of operations where the tiniest slip-up could be fatal. "In my court, I condemn everyone to life,"says the doctor with a rare smile. But when his attempts are unsuccessful, the heartrending wails of loved ones resound through the building. Then the next victim rolls in. And so the doctor remains trapped in this cycle of violence from which he is trying to save other people. And despite his best efforts to hide his emotions, he is exceedingly pessimistic about Israeli society, calling his job "an island of reason in a sea of craziness."